The NBA G League lost one of its top targets on Friday, but the NBA’s development arm, which is giving one-and-done prospects an option in America beyond college, landed another one on Tuesday.
Five-star prospect Daishen Nix is decommitting from UCLA and joining Jalen Green and Isaiah Todd on the “select team,” the G League announced Tuesday, after another top recruit, Greg Brown, opted to go to college at Texas on Friday over going pro. The team, which will also include G League veterans, not affiliated with any NBA or G-League franchises.
“I’ve always known that going to the G League was an option, but learning more about it and hearing more things about it is why I chose it, it was the best option for me,” Nix told 247Sports.com. “I heard the talks in early November, but over time it just changed my opinion and where I want to go.”
Daishen Nix (r.) during the Pangos All-AMerican Camp last June.Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The G League is paying high school recruits up to $500,000 for one year of training and playing in upwards of 25 games instead of attending college. Green hadn’t picked a school at the time of his decision – he would’ve chosen Memphis, the skilled wing said, if he decided to go to college – while Todd was committed to Michigan. The belief is the G League would like to add two more players. The 6-foot-5 Nix, a Las Vegas native, is ranked 15th in the senior class by 247Sports.com. His deal is in the range of $300,000, The Athletic reported.
G League president Shareef Abdur-Rahim told The Post last week this new team shouldn’t be viewed as the NBA challenging college, but that it is offering a different route to kids who want to start their professional clock right out of high school.
“The couple of players that likely will look at this option are kids that were looking for other opportunities, to do something other than college basketball,” he said.
Of course, two of the three players were committed to colleges, before being swayed by the G League money.
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